Presenter：Aristo Sham
Listen to #Hashtag Hong Kong every Sunday morning at 8.15
Focusing on issues affecting civil society, we'll hear from representatives of NGOs, associations, statutory bodies, and non-profit groups.
(Sundays 8.15am - 8.25am)
Hello everyone. Today, I’d like to talk about something that affects far more people than we might imagine, yet often goes unnoticed— and that’s dysphagia, or difficulty swallowing.
I want to begin with a real-life story: A few years ago, I met Mrs Cheung, a devoted daughter taking care of her elderly mother. At first, her mother coughed occasionally during meals. It didn’t seem serious, and her family thought it was partly related to aging. However, everything changed during the COVID-19 pandemic. After being infected, her mother’s ability to swallow deteriorated rapidly. She could no longer handle her usual meals, not even congee.
For Mrs. Cheung, each mealtime turned into a source of anxiety. She watched her mother lose weight, strength, and happiness, while every choking incident filled the family with dread. She expressed feeling helpless, caught between the need to safeguard her mother from the dangers of eating and the pain of watching her struggle with something as basic as eating. For many caregivers, this emotional burden is as heavy as the practical challenges they face.
This is not just a story; it’s real life, and it may resonate with many people because dysphagia happens more often than we realise.
Dysphagia simply means difficulty swallowing, but behind this simple term are complex causes. Swallowing actually involves over 30 muscles and several coordinated steps—from the mouth, to the throat, to the esophagus. When any part of this system is weakened or damaged, swallowing can become unsafe.
There are many possible causes. This includes neurological conditions such as stroke, dementia, or Parkinson’s disease, head-and-neck cancers, age-related weakening of muscles, or structural issues such as narrowing of the esophagus.
Symptoms of dysphagia can vary widely. Some individuals may cough or choke during meals, while others feel as though food is “stuck” in their throats. Many silently lose weight or become dehydrated because eating becomes stressful or exhausting. If untreated, dysphagia can lead to serious complications, including pneumonia, malnutrition, and repeated hospitalizations.
Speech therapists play a vital role in both diagnosing and treating this condition. Depending on the underlying cause, therapy may include strengthening exercises, postural adjustments, or modifications to the texture of food and drinks. For many individuals, safe eating begins with simple yet essential adaptations—like opting for softer, smoother, and easier-to-swallow foods.
In Hong Kong, dysphagia is becoming increasingly prevalent. Our population is aging rapidly, with census projections indicating that one in three residents will be 65 or older by 2036. As we live longer, more people will face swallowing difficulties at some point. This issue extends beyond medical concerns; it impacts families, caregivers, and the social systems that support them.
To ensure that older adults, individuals with disabilities, and patients recovering from illnesses can thrive, we must prioritize their ability to eat well. Eating is not just about nutrition; it embodies dignity, pleasure, and connection.
This is where Care Food comes into play.
Care Food is more than just “soft food” or blended meals; it’s thoughtfully designed to meet various swallowing abilities while remaining nutritious, visually appealing, and culturally familiar. Adhering to the IDDSI international standards, Care Food clarifies how soft or thick a food item should be to ensure safety for those with dysphagia.
However, Care Food goes beyond safety. It aims to restore confidence, dignity, and the joy of sharing meals. Rather than unappealing mush, Care Food dishes can be colorful, well-presented, and resemble the original ingredients—ranging from vegetables to dim sum. For someone with dysphagia, being able to enjoy a meal with family again has a profound emotional impact.
At the Hong Kong Council of Social Service, we recognized early on that dysphagia presents a growing challenge, making community-based solutions essential. Since 2017, we’ve been leading the development of Hong Kong’s Care Food ecosystem.
We collaborate with NGOs that support older adults and individuals with disabilities, speech therapists and healthcare professionals. We also work with restaurants and food suppliers, and government departments.
We develop standards, training programs, and public education campaigns, collaborating across sectors. Over 240 restaurants now offer Care Food menus, enabling worry-free dining for families. Our community program teaches caregivers—family members and domestic helpers alike—how to prepare safe and tasty meals at home, supported by a Care Food website with free learning videos. These efforts are transforming how Hong Kong addresses swallowing difficulties, and we are dedicated to making safe and enjoyable eating accessible to everyone.
Now, returning to the real-life story of Mrs. Cheung’s mother - after transitioning to Care Food under the guidance of her speech therapist, her mother’s appetite gradually returned. Meals became safer, more calming, and enjoyable. She regained strength and, most importantly, could again sit at the table and share meals with her family.
For Mrs. Cheung, this was a turning point. “Care Food gave us our mealtime back,” she said. “It restored my mother’s dignity, and it gives us hope.”
If you or a loved one is facing chewing or swallowing difficulties, know that you are not alone and support is available. Speak to a speech therapist or visit the HKCSS Care Food website to learn more about dysphagia and how Care Food can assist you.
Presenter：Aristo Sham
The overwhelming response to my win at the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition from Hong Kong, practically immediately, could not have been in anyone’s imagination; requests for interviews came in while I was strutting up the stairs up towards the stage. I cannot think of another society in the world where the response would be anywhere close, or in such a dignified manner. This is such a gift, and a gratifying reminder of the fortune of being from Hong Kong; the ability to share in the joy and celebration of the achievement of one of our own – this should really be a source of pride for all of us – an illustration of some of the great qualities we can share as a society, and a great example of the values we can seek to attain in our outlook as a society.
I was born in Hong Kong and started learning piano at the age of 3; my mother taught piano at home, and as a toddler I showed great curiosity towards the instrument, almost like a toy, so at age 3 my mother finally gave in and decided to let me try having lessons. My mother noticed that I picked up musical concepts and ideas quicker than usual, and so at the age of 6 she thought I should audition at the Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts, to which I was accepted, and there began the next phase of my musical life.
I was living and studying in Hong Kong until the age of 14, and in this period, I enjoyed successes in several international competitions, leading to gaining the moniker “prodigy”, for which I never had particularly strong feelings, and most definitely not how I would describe myself. As I am characteristically restless and curious, I have always craved new experiences and new sensations, leading me to want to discover a new way of life and a different culture in the UK at the age of 14, followed by the US at the age of 19. Since I was swept by the currents of life and never actively decided to pursue music as a child, during my teenage years I was adamant about leading a balanced and varied life – I went to a normal academic high school, and entered the dual-degree programme at Harvard and New England Conservatory. It was not until when I was 21 years old, when I decided to fully dedicate myself to music.
Just as I believe in an all-rounded education and the understanding of as much as possible of the world around us, I have enjoyed a broad education in piano and in music, as my teachers come from many different traditions (French, Viennese, German, Russian etc.), with different perspectives on building musical language and technique. The knowledge of all these aspects allows me to choose and combine, often subconsciously, the avenue of expression that best suits every piece and every moment in performance.
I think, and hope, my signature as an artist lies in my breadth of experiences and knowledge about the various aspects of the world and of life; at Harvard my degree was nominally in economics – it was more liberal arts, as I took courses in all sorts of disciplines, including history, languages, politics, sciences, arts, to name a few. As I decided to pursue a career in music, my interests and curiosities remain panoramic – I constantly travel to new destinations, study new languages, learn about different cultures, read texts on different subjects.
With languages and travel, I seek to understand different cultures and the logic embedded within – the way of thinking in each culture, or locale, is always different, and there is always a pathway by which we can learn from, why a certain idea leads to the next. This is striking in its similarity to the consequential nature of logic and communication in music, which is equally rich and varied. As a Hongkonger, I cannot not be also incredibly inspired by experiences in food and wine; just as we create unique and memorable experiences in music, there is a lot of artistic expression in food and wine that push the boundaries of what intensity and finesse we can feel.
I credit the cultural breadth that I enjoyed during my formative years in Hong Kong, for the foundation of my holistic and curious self throughout life. In the same vein, I always carry a piece of Hong Kong with me – the uncanny ability to learn and adjust to all sorts of environments and situations; the capacity to absorb stimuli attacking us from all directions and make something of it, hopefully better; and of course, the relentless drive for perfectionism in all that we do. In the end, since music and all art is a reflection of life and of the world in its essence, I believe my interest and understanding in different areas allows me to better express and connect with audiences around the world.
I love life in all its flavours; perhaps not in the moment, but I hold a dear appreciation to everything that I have ever learnt, delved into, or brushed past. Joy, sadness, agony, frustration, exaltation – they are all teachers that make life fulfilling and the experience of life richer.
Hongkongers can be terribly goal and results-oriented, often to the point where the pursuit of results takes over any larger purpose or ideal. Winning one of the most important prizes for me was not a goal whatsoever, it is only a platform by which I could take on an overarching purpose, which at the end of the day, is to have the opportunity to share my love and beliefs in music, and hopefully to create experiences that people cannot have otherwise and ones that they will take with them for a long time.
A lot of people would say that I am ‘successful’; this isn’t something that matters to me, or something that should matter at all in the larger picture. Such successes on paper are never fulfilling nor make our lives fuller or happier. I must also note that such milestones usually occur only with a larger purpose or calling in the picture; of course we should celebrate the wins on the way, but deep down what we truly crave is the opportunity to open doors to create new paths in our lives. At the moment, I am endlessly grateful for the opportunity, and I am currently making the most out of this exciting ride!
My wish for Hong Kong and her people is that we would look more deeply within ourselves all the time, reflect upon everything that comes our way, and search for what is it that we really want for ourselves, what is it that we think will be of positive impact to this world. It is so easy to let the hamster wheel of life take over our every cell and our every thought, but I believe we must be purposeful and intentional in our path, so that we live a life filled with meaning, both externally and internally.
It doesn’t matter if we change the world, or make the life of one person a more fulfilling or comfortable existence – if we have brought joy or have been a positive force to anything or anyone, then we will have achieved something meaningful.
And the song I'd like to dedicate to our listeners is Places by The Blaze.
It's one of these songs that I listen to on planes and trains very often. And I love the feeling of movement and of journeying, also tinged with nostalgia, which is very much the feeling I get when I move between places and have fond memories of the place and people that I just left and I think the song captures that a lot and this is a feeling that I feel very often because of how much I travel and I think it's such a delicious feeling tinged with melancholy but also yearning for both the past and the future.
